/*
Plugin Name: Brian's Latest Comments
Plugin URI: http://meidell.dk/archives/category/wordpress/latest-comments/
Version: 1.5.8
Description: This shows an overview of the recently active articles and the last people to comment on them. Original idea and code fixes contributed by Michael Heilemann.If you have Dunstan's Time Since installed, this plugin uses it for the title="" attributes on the comments and posts. (For WordPress 1.5)
Author: Brian Meidell
Author URI: http://meidell.dk/
Version 1.5: Now works without LOCK TABLE and CREATE TEMPORARY TABLE priviledges.
Version 1.5.1: Can't remember what I did here
Version 1.5.2: Fixed count select statement to not include spammy comments
Version 1.5.3: Properly excludes track- and pingbacks
Version 1.5.4: Excludes posts that are not published, even if they have comments
Version 1.5.5: Fade old comments, fixed bug that wreaked havoc with Time Since
Version 1.5.6: Bugfix from Jonas Rabbe (http://www.jonas.rabbe.com/) pertaining to timesince
Version 1.5.7: Bugfix so old colors can be darker than new colors (stupid oversight), thanks to http://spiri.dk for spotting it.
Bugfix where single digit hex would cause invalid colors, thanks to http://www.wereldkeuken.be/ for the fix.
Version 1.5.8: Updated to work with WordPress 2.1 alpha by M. Heilemann.
*/
function blc_latest_comments($num_posts = 5, $num_comments = 6, $hide_pingbacks_and_trackbacks = true, $prefix = "